Ellicott City Realtor Catonsville Realtor

Rockburn Township is a small community of single family homes located off Montgomery Road in Ellicott City, MD.  The community is consists of approximately 200 homes on various cul de sacs off Rockburn Drive.  The lots are large in this newer community, with most being more than quarter of an acre in size.  Most homes are less than 20 years old, and are two stories with basements and 3 to 5 bedrooms.

 

 

 

 

Rockburn Township is within walking distance to Rockburn Branch Park, a 415 acre wooded recreational area that offers sporting fields, a playground, 7 ½ miles of walking trails, Pavilions, Restrooms and a free 18 hole disc golf course.  The park is home to Fall Hay Rides, a Haunted House, an Annual Easter Egg Hunt, and numerous other community events throughout the year.  Also located within the park is Pfeiffer's Corner School, a restored one-room schoolhouse constructed in 1883.

Homes in Rockburn Township are located within the Howard County Public School System and are currently districted for Rockburn Elementary School, Bonnie Branch Middle School and Howard High School.  School rating information for Howard County Public Schools can be found at greatschools.net.  School districting can change from year to year, and should always be independently verified with the school district.  Howard County has a very useful School and Bus Locator tool.

Other area amenities include the public Timbers at Troy Golf Course, located just a quick drive away on Marshalee Drive.  Convenient everyday shopping can be found at Lyndwood Square, also located off Marshalee Drive.

Homes for Sale in Rockburn Township, April 2010:

List Price:  $550,000

Address: 7711 BRIARSTONE CT ELLICOTT CITY, MD 21043 MSL#: HW7158657 Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2 full, 1 partial Square Feet: 0	Year Built: 1993 Fire Places: 1 Garage Spaces: 2 Lot Size: : 0.341827 acres Status: ACTIVE Community: ROCKBURN TOWNSHIP
Listed by: Century 21 H.T. Brown Realty

Recent Sales in Rockburn Township:

Sold ROCKBURN TOWNSHIP ELLICOTT CITY MD Property Listings

Address	List Price	Sold Price	Subsidy	Sold Date	Year Built	Beds	Full/ Half Baths	Fire Pl.	Garage Spots	Days on Market
7708 MILLSTONE CT	$550,000	$537,500	0	11-24-09	1996	4	2/1	1	2	170
7823 BREAKSTONE CT	$617,000	$590,000	0	06-22-09	1990	4	3/1	1	2	9

Other similar neighborhoods in this area include Lyndwood, Rockburn, and Rockburn Commons.  To find out more about homes in these communities, please feel free to contact me.

February 2010 Baltimore Metro MarketWatch Video - Housing Sales Statistics for the Baltimore Metro Area Including Baltimore County, Carroll County and Howard County

Thursday Q & A - Your Maryland Real Estate Investing Questions Answere

What are the most common mistakes you see novice Investors make?

A:  The list that we're talking about looks like this:

• Falling in love with the property
• Always using the best case scenario
• Not performing solid due diligence
• Not planning
• Forgetting to consider how this deal helps your other financial objectives (the big picture)

A word about planning:

When preparing to rehab an investment property, an important concern is how and when to get your contractors into the property.  You want to turn this property around as quickly as possible, possibly in just a month or two.  But if you wait until closing to schedule your contractors, they may be already committed to another job.

So, unless you want your rehab to stretch out for 2 or 3 times longer than you anticipated, it's a good idea, once you are under contract, to not only get your estimates, but a preliminary construction schedule.

This will save you both time and money, because the more quickly you can turn the property around, the more money you will make.

First Time Homebuyers - FTHB - $8,000 tax credit extension for Military homebuyers:

As part of the First Time Homebuyer extension that went into effect on November 6, 2009, the law included provisions for military and federal employees serving outside the U.S. to enter into a contract in order to qualify for the tax credit:

• Members of the military and certain other federal employees serving outside the U.S. have an extra year to buy a principal residence in the U.S. and qualify for the credit. Thus, an eligible taxpayer must buy, or enter into a binding contract to buy, a principal residence on or before April 30, 2011. If a binding contract is entered into by that date, the taxpayer has until June 30, 2011, to close on the purchase. Members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service and employees of the intelligence community are eligible for this special rule. It applies to any individual (and, if married, the individual's spouse) who serves on qualified official extended duty service outside of the United States for at least 90 days during the period beginning after Dec. 31, 2008, and ending before May 1, 2010.

• In many cases, the credit repayment (recapture) requirement is waived for members of the uniformed services, members of the Foreign Service and employees of the intelligence community. This relief applies where a home is sold or stops being the taxpayer's principal residence after Dec. 31, 2008, in connection with government orders received by the individual (or the individual's spouse) for qualified official extended duty service. The credit is still allowable even if this happens during the year of purchase. Qualified official extended duty is any period of extended duty while serving at a place of duty at least 50 miles away from the taxpayer's principal residence (whether inside or outside the U.S.) or while residing under government orders in government quarters. Extended duty is defined as any period of duty pursuant to a call or order to such duty for a period in excess of 90 days or for an indefinite period.

If you have any questions about the extension, or about buying a home in Maryland, feel free to contact me.

Village of Long Reach, Columbia - How Did They Name Those Streets?

Columbia's Villages, neighborhoods and streets are often references to the history of the area as well as famous works of art and literature.  High Tor Hill, in the Village of Long Reach is no exception.  Below is a brief history of some of the names in the Village of Long Reach:

 

 

 

‘Long Reach' was the name of an original land grand presented to Major Edward Dorsey in 1695 for 448 acres.

Robin Jeffers was an American poet at the height of his popularity in the 1920s and 1930s, whose work reflected his passion for the wild beauty of the then undeveloped California Coast.  He built a home near Carmel called ‘High Tor'.  From his poem ‘Tor House':

To make stone love stone, you will find some remnant.
But if you should look in your idleness after ten thousand years:
It is the granite knoll on the granite
And lava tongue in the midst of the bay, by the mouth of the Carmel

‘Tor' is an old English term for a high stone outcropping.

The Long Reach Community Center is named Stonehouse, and is located in the Village Center.  From the Robin Jeffers poem Star Swirls:

And this place, where I have planted trees and built a stone house

This information was compiled from various sources including Oh You Must Live in Columbia, Missy Burke, Robin Emrich and Barbara Kellner, 2008, Columbia Archives.  Visit the Columbia Archives yourself to purchase a copy of this book, or check out a copy from the Howard County Library, and to find out more about the fascinating history of the names of this city!

Top Seller Tuesdays - Spend a Little, Get a Lot! A series of weekly tips for preparing your Maryland Home for sale that are simple, quick and designed to bring you top value.

• Opt for neutral paint and carpets but add splashes of color with area rugs, napkins, flowers, pillows, curtains, drapes and towels.

If you'd like more information about preparing your home for sale, feel free to contact me.

Click on Full Screen to view this report.
If you have any questions about this report, feel free to give me a call, or click here to request more information.

Carroll County Real Estate Market Update, February 2010

The Cove Condominium Community - located in the Village of Wilde Lake - Spacious Condos with Water Views of Wilde Lake, and a Community Pool, conveniently located just across Little Patuxent Parkway from the Mall of Columbia

Located in the Neighborhood of Bryant Woods, between 10000 and 10100 Windstream Drive, this classic condominium community is situated directly on Wilde Lake, with many units offering a view of the Lake.  Although they were built in the 1960's as one of Wilde Lake's first apartment communities, these units were converted to condominiums in the 1980's and have been very well maintained by the Cove Condominium Association.  The landscaping is impeccable, and the convenience of a community pool sets these homes apart.

Wilde Lake is a 22 acre manmade lake, built and maintained by the Columbia Association.  The Lake has a well kept 1.5 mile loop walking trail, tot lot, and picnic area.  The Columbia Association maintains the Boathouse, as well as the Barn on the Lake's shore.   Wilde Lake flows downstream into Lake Kittamaqundi.

Shopping can be found at the nearby Wilde Lake Village Center, which is home to David's Natural Market, or at the Governor Century Plaza Shopping Center , both of which are just a short drive from The Cove Condominiums.   Also nearby are Howard Community College and Howard County General Hospital.

Wilde Lake is also home to the Columbia Swim Center, an indoor pool complex with two full sized pools,  a wading pool, locker rooms, sauna, KidCare child care option, and the popular Splashdown indoor water park.

Entertainment and recreation can be found at any of Columbia's nearby cultural and sports centers:

• Merriweather Post Pavilion
• Toby's Dinner Theatre
• Columbia Art Center
• Columbia Horse Center
• Columbia's Supreme Sports Club and other Athletic Clubs
• Fairway Hills Golf Club and Hobbits Glen Golf Club
• Wilde Lake Tennis Club
• Columbia Ice Rink
  

For more information about what living in Columbia has to offer, visit www.columbiaassociation.com, and to find out more about living in the Village of Wilde Lake and other Columbia Villages, visit www.columbiavillages.org.

Live in Federal Hill – One of Baltimore City’s Oldest Neighborhoods Known for its Proximity to Baltimore’s Most Enjoyed Local Attractions, Nightlife and Local Businesses

About Federal Hill

One of the oldest neighborhoods in Baltimore City, Federal Hill is located West of Martin King Luther Jr Boulevard and North of Interstate 95. From the top of the hill in Federal Hill Park, you have a panoramic view of Baltimore City’s Inner Harbor. Walking distance to the stadiums, Inner Harbor, and Museums, this neighborhood is a convenient location to all of the major Baltimore City attractions:

• Maryland Science Center
• Baltimore Museum of Industry
• National Aquarium
• American Visionary Art Museum
• Little Montgomery Street Historic District
• M&T Stadium
• Carroll Park
• Hippodrome Theatre
• Camden Yards
• Baltimore Convention Center
• Fort McHenry
• Lexington Market
• …and so much more!

Federal Hill’s business include a number of locally owned and operated establishments, with a wide variety of bars, pubs and restaurants, but also including some unique companies that you would not find anywhere else. Not the least of which businesses is the Cross Street Market, an old-fashioned fresh food market whose origins date back to 1846.

You can find out more about Federal Hill’s history, businesses and events by visiting www.historicfederalhill.org.

Photos of Federal Hill – the Neighborhood, the Businesses, the View:

Photos courtesy of Andy Ellis of bmoreconnected – www.facebook.com/bmoreconnected

Move in time to take part in the festivities at the annual Federal Hill Main Street’s Spring Block Party on April 25th!!!

Renovated Federal Hill Townhome with Brick Exterior and Unique Architecture, Deck and Patio
295,000
Located in the heart of Federal Hill
126 Burnett Street
Burnett Street has Summer Movie Nights and Block Parties
Join the Fun!

• 2 Bedrooms
  
• 2 ½ Bathrooms – Each Bedroom has its own Bathroom
  
• Fenced Rear Patio
  
• Deck
  
• Ceramic Tile in Kitchen and Bathrooms
  
• Custom Cabinets in Renovated Kitchen with Breakfast Bar
  
• Master Bathroom Has Whirlpool Tub
  
• Custom Exposed Brick
  
• Fully Finished Lower Level
  
• Custom Stairs and Banisters

Listed by: Christine Kogok, Realtor

Click here to request more information about the property.